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| | | | | TL leeteeamt a see 4 Si "A Family Tradition for 134 Years" Community comes through for food bank By Chris Hall Port Perry Star Operation Scugog food bank volunteers are expressing heartfelt thanks to the community after residents rallied to help the needy once more this past holiday season. Thanks to the generos- ity of local businesses, schools, residents, churches and many oth- ers, Operation Scugog was once again able to help the less fortunate this Christmas. More than 160 Christmas Hampers were passed out to fami- lies on Dec. 20 at the Victory Christian Centre. 'The effort saw area families "adopted" by others in the community. Supporters provided gifts and food for the families, just in time for Christmas. And food and mone- tary donations continued to pour in to the food bank, allowing volunteers to stock the shelves at ~ the Kinsmen Hall to capacity. "It went very, very well thanks to the generosity of the merchants, church- es, schools and all the people in the communi- ty," said Ann Wanninkhof, a volunteer with Operation Scugog. - "It went great, and: we're very thankful to everyone who helped out this year." As usual, there were late applications for ham- pers, but volunteers found ways to ensure everyone had a good Christmas, said Mrs. Wanninkhof. "There were people who applied at the last moment, but we were still able to accommodate More than 160 families supported at Christmas them. The community really came through for us again and we're thankful for that." Over all, the number of families seeking hampers was about the same as last year, said - Mrs. Wanninkhof. : However, she added, there was a rush for them as Christmas grew closer when people started get- ting laid off from work, or realizing that assistance cheques would not be arriving in time for Dec. 25, "We got some people who thought they were going to be fine, but in the end they needed some help," said Mrs. Wanninkhof. "That's fine; we're here to help out everyone who needs it." An attractive aspect of THE PORT PERRY STAR - Wednesday, January 3, 2001 - 3 the hamper program for people who've fallen on hard times is that it's con- fidential, said Mrs. Wanninkhof. "It's a very good sys- tem, it's very confidential. Nobody's names or addresses is released," she said. "It's all done by code numbers." Also as a result of the record donations this year, the food bank's shelves are now stuffed and overflowing. "The food bank*"is in good shapeisrand we should be in good shape to help people out now until the Easter Food Drive," she said. "I just can't thank thé people around here ~ enough. What they did this year is tremendous, and we just have to keep saying thank you." pe TORTS TT SON, Sree =, i Re Crime Stoppers takes aim at insurance fraud By Jeff Mitchell Port Perry Star The Crime Stoppers program in Durham Region is targeting a new kind of crime: Insurance fraud. The program, which encourages people with knowledge of illegal activi- ty to provide police with anonymous tips in return for cash rewards, has launched an appeal for information on insurance scams. "When someone makes a false claim, exaggerates a genuine claim, or makes a false statement on an insurance application, they commit a criminal offence," said Sgt. Kevin Slaney, the Durham Regional Police office who heads up the Crime Stoppers program here. Sgt. Slaney said that each year in Canada, up to $1.3 billion in false claims is paid out by insurance companies. Insurance fraud is estimated to be the second leading source of criminal profits in North America, "second only to the illegal drug trade," he said, pointing to false claims filed for fires and other jncidents. "That cost is paid by honest policy holders through increased insur- ance premiums," said Sgt. Slaney. He's urging anyone in Durham Region with sus- picions about insurance fraud to call 436-8477 or |- 2 800-222-TIPS with their information. nT The Crime Stoppaa: § program pays up. to $1,000 in cash for information that leads to arrests in any type of crime. Callers never have to give their names or testify in court, and the office does not use call display to identify incom- ing calls. This latest initiative comes during Crime Stoppers Month in Canada. Established in New Mexico in 1976 as a partnership among the police, the media and the public, Crime Stoppers has become an intema- tionally-recognized crime- fighting program which has been credited with assist- ing in the arrests of more than 250,000 law-breakers, and recovery of some $4.5 billion in stolen property and seized narcotics. There are currently more than [,000 Crime Stoppers programs in jurisdictions worldwide. "In Durham Region, Crime Stoppers has made a significant contribution in the fight against crime," said Sgt. Slaney. Since its inception in 1986, Durham Region's Crime Stoppers phone line has received more than 10,000 calls, and has participated in more than 2,100 arrests. More than 4,700 charges have been laid, and $16.5 million in stolen property and drugs have been notched. Ae. Ae ------ Qucen Men's, Women's & Kids' Clothing & Footwear on Sale % off selected Stree SINC TSI ))5-985 x! wil Rrpk ¥ * a ' [3 R@( Nel On fool